Olympic Games Put Spotlight On Neighbours Who Play To Win

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Richard Swayze

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Olympic Games Put Spotlight on Neighbours Who Play to Win


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It’s two weeks after the Closing Ceremonies and I can’t help but marvel at the closeness of the relationship enjoyed by Canada and the U.S. in terms of philosophy, ideology and politics. Maybe it takes an event like the Olympics to bring the obvious to the fore, but I found myself rooting for Canada nearly as often as the U.S. And when Canada won both gold medal hockey games over the U.S., my reaction was “good for them.” That’s in part because home teams that lose with so much at stake end up throwing a punch in the gut to everyone in attendance, and that’s never fun to watch.

Maybe being downright neighborly is one reason so many Americans were happy to see Canada and its athletes succeed. It’s safe to say losing to the Russians or Germans would not have set as well with those in the U.S., even though everyone here is happy the Cold War days are over.

In the end, the U.S. won the total medal count, Canada earned the most gold medals and the host country put on one spectacular show. Everyone’s a winner and those on both sides of the border should be proud.

Now, back to the business of gambling, and you’re asking how all of this talk about the Olympics is relevant. It’s not directly, but in the same way each country respects the other in the sporting arena, I believe that relationship exists in the business world as well. Certainly Canada is a huge market for gaming suppliers, led by the big slot machine companies. As Executive Director of the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM), I can say that our 90-plus members absolutely consider the Canadian gaming market one of the most progressive and vibrant in the world.

For those of you not familiar with AGEM, we are an international trade association representing manufacturers and suppliers of electronic gaming devices, systems, table games, key components and support products and services for the gaming industry. AGEM works to further the interests of gaming equipment suppliers throughout the world. Through political action, trade show partnerships, educational alliances, information dissemination and good corporate citizenship, the members of AGEM work together to create benefits for every company within the organization. Together, AGEM has assisted regulatory commissions and participated in the legislative process to solve problems and create a business environment where AGEM members can prosper while providing a strong level of support to education and responsible gaming initiatives.

AGEM is a proud sponsor of the Canadian Gaming Summit and our members form the exhibiting foundation of the show. We root for the Canadian gaming market to continue to grow and prosper because it helps our members sell products, but we also appreciate that casino operators in the U.S. and elsewhere can learn from what is happening in Canada, whether that be responsible gaming efforts, marketing success stories or technological advances.

What’s good for Canada often is good for the U.S. While direct casino competition exists between Detroit and Windsor and on both sides of Niagara Falls, competition makes everyone better. Just ask the hockey teams that played for the gold in Vancouver.

By, Marcus Prater, executive director of the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM)